Breaking News on Confectionery & Biscuit Processing

Sugar-free gum poisonous for pets

21-Jun-2007 - Consumer demand for sugar-free products with Xylitol is leading to the deaths of domestic pets, according to reports in the US.

Danisco blames revenue dip on EU sugar reform

21-Jun-2007 - Danisco suffered a 3 per cent drop in revenue in the 12 months to 30 April, blaming the fall on the EU's decision to cut subsidies for sugar.

French chocolate firm expands into Eastern Europe

21-Jun-2007 - The Cemoi group has acquired Polish chocolate producer Gryf as part of its strategy to expand into the eastern European market.

Leaf International moves into Eastern Europe

19-Jun-2007 - The Dutch confectionery producer Leaf International recently announced that production has started at its newly-built plant in Levice, Slovakia.

Cadbury Schweppes makes offer on Japanese candy market

19-Jun-2007 - Cadbury Schweppes announced yesterday its move on Japanese functional candy company Sansei Foods, in a bid to expand its business further in the country's lucrative confectionery market.

Consumers demand functional "low and light" products

18-Jun-2007 - The market for "low and light" products continued to grow in 2006, but some consumers have started to opt instead for probiotic and wholegrain foods, according to research published by Leatherhead Food International.

Cadbury pleads guilty to salmonella charges

15-Jun-2007 - Cadbury pleaded guilty today in a UK court to three breaches of the country's food and hygiene regulations, admitting it was responsible for allowing salmonella-contaminated chocolate to be sold on the market last year.

Advocacy group raises spectre of 'blood chocolate'

14-Jun-2007 - A UK-based pressure group campaign against companies that buy cocoa from the Ivory Coast has accused the industry of funding conflict and civil unrest.

Nutrition, health claims perception differs by country - survey

13-Jun-2007 - A consumer's perception of nutrition and health claims labeling differs not only between the US and Europe, but also among European countries, says a new survey from Unilever.

Novel foods opinion brings baobab closer to market

12-Jun-2007 - Fruit from the African baobab tree moved a step closer to approval for use as a food ingredient in the EU yesterday, with the publication of a positive opinion from the FSA's novel foods committee.

Women prefer chocolate to sex

11-Jun-2007 - Over half of women in the UK would rather curl up with a chocolate bar than have sex, according to a new survey.

Cadbury gets sweet on Romania

11-Jun-2007 - Cadbury Schweppes has bought a 93 per cent stake in Romanian sweets maker Kandia-Excelent, from Kandia, a private equity investment holding company managed by Meinl Bank.

Cadbury buys Turkish gum maker for 333m

07-Jun-2007 - Cadbury today announced the purchase of Intergum, a Turkish gum maker, from the Amram family in a deal worth $450m (€333m) in cash and assumed debt.

Frutarom to buy Israeli flavour firm Raychan

06-Jun-2007 - Frutarom has signed an agreement to acquire fellow Israeli firm Raychan Food Industries - its third buy in flavours arena this year and one that will allow it to expand its offering to existing clients on a worldwide basis.

Cadbury set to cast off senior managers

06-Jun-2007 - Cadbury said yesterday it will restructure its activities in Britain and Ireland, resulting in the dismissal of several senior executives.

Cadbury sells businesses in three continents

05-Jun-2007 - Cadbury Schweppes today announced the sale of businesses in Australia, Canada and Italy, raising over £45m (€66.4m) towards its 2007 disposal target.

Checking fat content depends on how consumers think, claims study

05-Jun-2007 - The social context of consumer groups could contribute to the way they perceive food products, according to a new study that examines the differences between individualistic and collectivistic societies.

Weekly comment

Could organic eat itself?

04-Jun-2007 - Just when organic food has begun to make a noticeable dent in the overall food market, air freighting - a measure that solves the segment's biggest current problem - is facing potential prohibition.

CSM sells frozen bread operations for 7.7m

01-Jun-2007 - CSM has announced that it is selling its French frozen bread operations to Neuhauser for €7.7m, a move that follows heavy restructuring to improve efficiency of its European bakery supply unit.

Market proves sweet for Eastern European chocolate maker

30-May-2007 - Eastern European confectionery company Roshen has produced more than 80,000 tonnes of confectionery in the year's first quarter, taking $140 million (€104m) in sales and confirming its position as a market leader in Ukraine's sweet sector.

Weekly Comment

Press releases for the press?

28-May-2007 - In a world where getting your name out there is called branding, and branding in turn equals better market share, some companies will go to great lengths to draw attention to their name. With information sources driven by open-access Internet, companies can tailor press releases not always intended for the press.

Cadbury sets out to sweeten UK market sales

25-May-2007 - Confectionery giant Cadbury Schweppes is set to refocus its UK operations and increase marketing spend over the coming year in a bid to overcome negative publicity and the split between the business' beverages and confectionery groups.

Food and industrial ingredients drive Tate & Lyle growth

23-May-2007 - Tate & Lyle has reported a strong full year 2007, the third consecutive year of sales growth and a key one for repositioning towards value added ingredients. But despite this, EU sugar reform continues to prove a drag.

Rumours abound as Cadbury looks to chocolate market

22-May-2007 - News that Cadbury may be on the verge of selling off its beverages arm has prompted rumours of multiple acquisitions for its chocolate half - in what would be a huge shake-up of the global confectionery landscape.